1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for determining the pressure between a support dressing and a body portion surrounded by said support dressing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With certain kinds of physical injuries, such as fractures, strains or the like, the body portion concerned is surrounded by a support dressing in order to provide a splinting, to maintain motionless this body portion and to ensure the recovery of the fracture in the correct position of the fragments at the point of the fracture. Generally, a plaster of Paris dressing or another rigid dressing producing a suitable splinting of the body portion concerned is used as a support dressing. It is a disadvantage of this procedure that normally this body portion swells up within a short time after application of the support dressing, whereby the swelling can be to such an extent that the related limb is tied off so strongly by the inflexible support dressing that an irreversible derangement and in extreme cases even a mortification of said limb may result.
In order to avoid this drawback it is known to split the support dressing in the first instance and to bend it up when the swelling occurs so that the swollen limb has space within the support dressing, and only to apply a closed plaster of Paris dressing after termination of the swelling. By splitting such a plaster of Paris dressing the disadvantage is produced that the body portion concerned is insufficiently supported, in particular when the swelling does not occur to the extent expected or when it fades away early. Then, the fragments can displace themselves at the point of fracture and the desired curing of the fracture is no longer ensured.